Passages (The Kings of Guardian Book 13)

by Kris Michaels

  Doc started laughing so hard he had to set his drink down. "No, don't tell me. Projectile vomiting."

  "Both of us." Jason admitted. "I threw up as soon as that smell hit my nose. Needless to say, I needed a new keyboard... desk blotter... pens..."

  "Holy shit!" Jacob leaned so far over he fell off his chair, which set everyone off on a new round of hysteria.

  Joseph emptied his glass and went back to the exam table for a refill. "What about putting them to sleep?"

  "Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall." Jacob nodded. "I've passed around a million bottles of beer between the four boys."

  "The ants go marching two-by-two." Jason shook his head. "Royce will not fall asleep to any other song.

  "Hush little baby." Jared and Christian answered at the same time.

  "What about you?" Chief asked him.

  "Me? Hell, I just recite the Marines’ field manual for breaking down and reassembling the M4. Bores the hell out of everyone." Which was the truth and really didn't deserve the laughter the comment received.

  "Shit continues to change." Drake lifted his glass. "A toast, gentleman. To what we were, what we are, and what is yet to be. Warriors, friends, and family, by genetics or by the grace of God. May we live a life that makes this world a better place."

  Chapter 4

  Tori looked at Jacob and narrowed her eyes. “What are you up to?”

  Her husband had been in an exceptionally good mood yesterday. Now he acted as if his best friend had died. Her eyes cut to Adam. Best friend alive and well, so not that. Doc looked like he’d been kicked in the balls, too.

  Jacob glanced around and shrugged. “Babe, please, can we just go? We need to meet Keelee at the clinic.” Jacob gave Doc a look Tori couldn’t decipher.

  “I’m not sure whether to be worried or not.” She grabbed a coat from the hook by the kitchen door. She glanced back at the empty room, suddenly not sure if she wanted to leave.

  Jacob took her hand and squeezed gently. “I’m really hoping there is nothing to worry about, but my gut tells me you might not like the surprise I got you for Christmas.” He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. “I did it with the best of intentions, but we all know what the road to hell is paved with, don’t we?”

  “Wait, you mean all this is about a Christmas gift?” Her glance danced between Adam and Jacob. They both nodded their heads.

  “Keelee should be waiting for us. Let’s get going.” Doc took off ahead of them, his shoulders hunched under his winter coat.

  Tori snuggled next to Jacob. He sheltered her from the strong wind, pulling her into his body and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. They walked in silence for several minutes before she nudged him with her elbow. “You know I’m going to love anything you took the time to get me for Christmas. You get that, right?”

  “Yeah, well, I thought I had a winner for sure until Doc and I took a closer look last night.” Jacob smiled halfheartedly at her.

  “So you and Doc got a present for both Keelee and me?” Tori searched her mind for something both she and her sister would enjoy. They didn’t have much in common. Keelee loved all things dealing with the ranch. Tori enjoyed visiting the ranch, but she loved living in Washington D.C., preferred designer clothes, and had a purse collection that would rival any Hollywood diva. She shook her head and then shrugged her shoulders. “I got nothing. I have no idea what you would get both Keelee and me that we would enjoy equally. I’m sure whatever it is, we’ll love it.”

  Jacob helped her over a particularly icy patch of snow and tucked her back under his arm. “Just do me a favor? If this turns out to be something that, in any way, hurts you or Keelee, remember we had the best intentions.”

  She glanced up. Deep lines etched into his brow. What could they have done?

  Jacob helped her up the icy clinic stairs, and with his hand resting at the small of her back, they made their way to Doc’s office. She couldn’t imagine him doing anything that would hurt her. Rarely had she seen the type of love her husband had for her and for their children. Some women she knew said the magic faded after a few children and a few years. How wrong they were. She and Jacob had date nights, made plans as a couple, and from time to time escaped the insanity of four boys, to reestablish their connection. Sex with Jacob King was phenomenal. Everyday life with Jacob King was even better.

  They followed Doc back through the ever-expanding clinic. Well, actually it was a hospital. Doc was the lead physician. He and Ember rotated as primary care physicians. An orthopedic surgeon flew in as needed, as did an anesthesiologist, or any other specialist. Tori had overheard Chief and Gabriel talking about expanding the hospital’s capabilities. Jacob explained that with the new complex in Arizona, they wanted to regionalize specialties. The hospital here in South Dakota would take patients from both training complexes and those who needed specialized care after being injured while on missions. Arizona would be limited to emergency medicine.

  Keelee sat with her feet up on her husband’s desk reading something on her phone when they opened the door. Keelee smiled. “Hey, so what’s so important that I had to drop Lizzy off with Skye? We were just set to make popcorn for tonight. Mom has washed and dried the cranberries. We have a lot of garlands to string.”

  Tori shook her head and waved a finger between Jacob and Adam. “These two are being mysterious. They say they have a Christmas gift for us.”

  She blinked between Adam, Jacob, and Tori. “Well, okay?”

  Doc cleared his throat. “Stay right here. I’ll go get it and be back in a second.”

  Jacob helped Tori slide off her jacket and then removed his own.

  Keelee looked at Jacob. “So, are you going to tell us what you got us?”

  Doc’s footsteps could be heard coming closer. Jacob glanced down the hall and nodded. “Remember that little keepsake box of your mom’s?”

  Tori straightened in her chair, immediately alert. “You told me it was destroyed.”

  “I stretched the truth. Hell, scratch that. I lied. Justin needed specialized tools from a connection he had in Asia. He got them recently and was able to open the box.”

  Adam walked into the office with the small wooden chest in his hands.

  Tori gasped and her eyes filled with tears. She thought she’d lost that portion of her mother forever. “It’s here? It wasn’t ruined?” She grabbed the box and set it on the desk between her and Keelee, scooting their chairs closer. Jacob stood beside her as Adam moved around the desk to stand beside Keelee.

  Keelee reached toward the box, not quite touching. “He opened it? Really?”

  Doc nodded. “He did.”

  She and Keelee huddled together. Keelee flicked the delicate latch and they both placed a hand on the top and opened the box. Tears immediately filled her eyes. She laughed and then cried. She lifted her eyes to Jacob. “How could you think we’d be upset about this?” She removed an old polaroid photograph from the top of the stack.

  “Oh my God! Tori, this is my fifth birthday. This is the day Daddy gave me Avalanche.” Keelee waived the picture in the air.

  Doc chuckled and crouched down beside his wife, looking at the photo she held. “What is an avalanche?”

  Keelee laughed. “Not a what, a who. Avalanche was my first horse. I had a Shetland pony before her, but that animal was so mean Daddy bought me a little Welsh mare. She was absolutely beautiful. I had her for almost fifteen years. I outgrew her… God. If I would have continued to ride her, my feet would have skimmed the ground, but she was with me for a long time.”

  Tears fell down Keelee’s cheeks and a radiant smile split her face. Her own tears fell. She picked up another photograph and shook her head. Her fingers traced the image of their mother. She took a shuddering breath and brought her fingers to her mouth. It had been so long since she’d thought of her mom. The photographs of their family from that time were enshrined in a photo album that sat in her father’s den. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d
pulled the book out to look at it. Amanda was her children’s grandmother. It almost broke her heart to think the memory of her mother had been so far away.

  “She was beautiful. Just like you.” Jacob knelt beside her. His arm wrapped around her shoulder, and she leaned into him.

  “Why would you think this would upset me?” Tori asked as she picked up a string of macaroni and laughed. She handed the red and green one to Keelee and picked up the purple and yellow one. “I can remember making these. I was so upset that Keelee used both red and green. The teacher said we couldn’t use the same colors. And Mom’s favorite colors were…”

  “Red and green.” Keelee finished for her. “What else is in there?” Keelee leaned forward.

  Tori picked out a pair of ruby clip-on earrings. “Do you remember these?”

  Keelee extended her hand. Tori dropped them into her palm. Her sister pulled her closer and examined them. She shook her head. “No, the only jewelry I remember Mom wearing was her wedding band and sometimes a small cross.” She looked back into the box.

  Tori lifted the remainder of the photographs out. A solitaire diamond pendant on a gold chain was next. She held it up by the fragile chain and looked at her sister. “I don’t remember this one either.” She handed it to Keelee.

  Keelee held it in her hand and shook her head. “Nope, but then again, we were young when she died.”

  Tori nodded and pulled out a gold ring, set with rubies. There was a matching necklace, and a pair of clip-on earrings with the same stones. They both examined every piece and laid the photographs out in front of them. The photos resurrected memories long since forgotten. She glanced at Jacob. His brow was furrowed with worry. “I don’t see anything here to upset us. Why were you so worried? This is the best Christmas gift you could ever have given us.”

  “Absolutely the best,” Keelee agreed.

  As she smiled at her husband, Jacob glanced at Doc. Adam moved closer to Keelee and placed his arm around her shoulders before he nodded his head. Jacob ground his jaw tightly. His facial muscles bunched as he reached forward and moved the small box closer to him. He tipped it and pulled a small satin tab at the bottom of the box. The bottom of the chest lifted out. Jacob sighed and set the container down. Apprehension began to niggle at her, and both she and Keelee leaned forward. She gasped at the same time as Keelee. Inside were three letters.

  “Dear God, is that Mom’s handwriting?” Keelee’s question was a mere whisper of sound in the silent room.

  Jacob reached in and pulled out the envelopes. He handed one across the desk to Keelee. When she didn’t reach out to accept it, Doc took it from Jacob’s hand. Jacob set the envelope with her name in front of her. Tori couldn’t do anything except shake her head. How could this be?

  Jacob tapped his finger on the desktop indicating the third envelope. “This one is addressed to your father. After you open and read yours, both Doc and I agreed the two of you should decide whether or not to give this to your father.”

  “This is the reason you’re worried.” She reached for the aged paper and carefully picked it up. The folded paper inside the envelope was thin, a single sheet of paper if she had to guess. She held it in her hand and traced the seams at the back. Her sister seemed to have difficulty looking at the envelope their mother had left her.

  She set the envelope down on the desktop, took a deep breath, and cleared her throat. “The box is something I’ll never forget. You’ve given us a precious piece of our childhood. These wonderful memories have brought our mom back to us and closer to our hearts. That box is the best Christmas gift I’ve ever received. No matter what’s in this envelope, the fact you preserved this box and opened it especially for us is what I’ll remember. I love you.”

  Jacob leaned in, and she placed her hands on his cheeks. She only then registered the fact she was shaking. His morning stubble scratched her palms, and he smiled. He closed the space between them, and Tori fell into a beautiful kiss as she tried to convey the love she held for this man.

  She heard Keelee speaking to Adam. Her words weren’t distinguishable, but the meaning was obvious. She was thanking her husband in the same way Tori had whispered her thanks to Jacob. When Jacob leaned away, she closed her eyes and let herself believe the words in the envelope would be magical. She turned to her sister. “I’m not ready to open this. You can open yours if you want.”

  Keelee finally picked up her envelope and shook her head. “I think maybe tonight after Lizzy goes to bed and after a glass of wine, then maybe we can read it in front of the fireplace.” Her gaze was on her husband.

  Tori knew how Keelee felt. She didn’t want to open and read whatever was in this envelope with an audience. She wanted Jacob by her side and no one else. Although, finding time alone at Christmas at the Marshall ranch would be a difficult task.

  As if reading her mind, Jacob whispered, “I’ll find somewhere for us, somewhere we can be alone. I’ll talk to Joseph and see if he can recommend a place. I don't want to bother Chief now that the complex is quiet for the holidays.”

  Tori nodded and glanced at the envelope addressed to her father. “After we read our letters, Keelee, we need to discuss whether or not to give this to Dad.”

  Keelee shook her head. “There is no discussion about it, Tori. That letter is addressed to him. It’s his. As a matter of fact, I think we should give it to him before we read our letters. Being sick doesn’t make him weak. If he treated us the way we are considering treating him, we’d pitch a fit. That letter is Dad’s. We give it to him. Now.”

  “Well, hell, when you put it that way…” Tori’s comment released around of laughter. It was the emotional outlet they all needed. She stood up and placed the keepsakes back in the box. “Let’s go find Dad.”

  Chapter 5

  Frank looked from the envelope on his lap to his daughters. He’d been feeling pretty damn good the last month or so. The treatments were over until the last battery of tests he’d endured determined what course of action was needed. The doctors were hopeful and damn it, so was he. His type of cancer was a sneaky son of a bitch. Started in the lymph nodes. The survival rate was excellent, especially since it had been caught early. If it hadn’t been for Amanda, he would have ignored the symptoms and shrugged it off. But his wife was his angel. He didn’t deserve a woman like her, but he’d take her. As a matter of fact, he’d taken her for life, and he wasn’t about to let his life end any sooner than the good Lord meant. So, he’d been fighting, taking the treatments, and pushing forward. He was beating this son of a bitch disease... but this envelope, hell, it took the wind out of his sails.

  “Tell me again where you found this?” Frank nodded toward the envelope.

  “Jacob had Justin open up Mama’s keepsake box. We found it in the bottom under her jewelry and such.” Tori set the little wood box down.

  Frank regarded the chest. Elizabeth had guarded that box like a wolverine guarded its den. She said she stored memories. He never had the desire to see what was in it. Figured it was little things from her past. Hell, the box wasn’t very big. “What else besides these letters was in it?” He reached over and grabbed Amanda’s hand. Her gentle squeeze was reassuring.

  Tori smiled and flipped the box open. “Look at these pictures, Daddy. Do you remember this one?” She drew the top picture from the stack and handed it to him. A chuckle built in his chest. Yeah, he remembered that day.

  “Are you wearing rabbit ears?” Amanda leaned over and laughed as she asked the question.

  “You could have gone another thirty years without bringing this picture around.” Frank grunted and shook his head. “Young people do damn fool things. I was young once.”

  “Wait a second. Did you just call yourself a fool?” Jacob’s eyebrows rose and a smile spread across his face.

  Frank sent Jacob an ‘eat shit and die’ glare. His son-in-law’s laughter filled the den. Frank leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. “Boy, I ain’t so old that I can’t whoop you
r ass.”

  Jacob held up his hands in surrender. “Yes, sir. But it’s good to know you were a little foolish at least once in your life.”

  “Son, I cornered the market on foolish, and then I sold that shit, real quick.” Frank leaned back in his chair and caressed the back of Amanda’s hand with his thumb. He reached out with his free hand and grabbed another photograph.

  Amanda leaned over and took one of the photos from the stack. “Girls, your mother was so beautiful. Both of you are the spitting image of her.”

  Frank looked at his wife and smiled. The woman had a pure heart. There was no jealousy or irritation at the fact his dead wife’s possessions had become a present-day Christmas gift. Yeah, he figured he’d won the lottery when he met Amanda King-Marshall. She was a once-in-a-lifetime love. His eyes traveled back to the picture of Elizabeth. He had loved her. Their marriage was good. Elizabeth hated the ranch, but she tried. He hated that she felt confined, so he worked hard to give her things to make her life here easier. The house was among those things. She wasn’t country though, and she loved the city and city life.

  Comparing Amanda and Elizabeth was like comparing night to day. Not to lessen his love for Elizabeth because when he married her, he did love her. But now? The love he felt for Amanda surpassed any recollection of the love he’d given to Elizabeth. Maybe it was because he was more mature. Maybe it was because they had the shared experiences of raising a family. Who knew?

  Frank phased back into the conversation and smiled as Tori and Keelee showed Amanda several more pictures. His eyes traveled back to the envelope and then up to Jacob and Adam. He glanced from son-in-law to son-in-law and then back to the envelope. The men looked concerned. He couldn’t blame them. When he served in the military, he had one of these letters. He listened as the women spoke of memories. He leaned forward and looked into the small box. A smile spread over his face as he lifted the silly macaroni necklaces out of the tray. He remembered the day Keelee and Tori brought these pieces home from vacation Bible school. Tori was so put out that Keelee had used both red and green. For the life of him, he had no idea how they determined Elizabeth’s favorite colors were red and green. She adored red. Green? Not so much. Couldn’t figure out where his daughters got that idea, but there was quite a row about it that day.